At Home With Theresa

Here is another recipe I totally rushed so you can have it for Thanksgiving, if you wish to try it. And I hope you do as it is so easy to make and so good! The 24 hour time frame is just mostly waiting, not actual hands on time so don’t be scared because of it. This bread develops lovely flavors because of the long fermentation times and in moderate amounts, is better for you than regular store bought bread.

This recipe makes a whopping 40 (or 24, or 32, depending on how you divide them) dinner rolls, 20 each in 2 13”x9” baking pans. Feel free to halve the recipe if needed, but I figured since I am going to be waiting 24 hours, I might just as well make enough to share with my mom when my nieces and nephew comes over.

One thing to keep in mind is that your starter has to be active, or just fed 8 hours ago, for this recipe to work. I did try it with discards, since it will be resting for a long while, but it did not work out to be as soft as the ones using an active starter.

For the sweetener, you can use 1/2 cup of honey if you want, but I just wanted some maple syrup mixed in this particular recipe. You do not taste the honey or the maple syrup in the baked roll, but it does contribute to the bread’s softness, texture, and overall taste.

Guideline: 1. I fed my starter Sunday night, around 8 pm, set it on the counter overnight to get ready for tomorrow. The next morning, at 7 am, I prepared the dough and let it rest until 7-8 pm. Then at 8 pm, I shaped them into balls, placed in the pan, covered and let rest until the next morning. Tuesday morning, I preheated the oven at 7:30am. Then baked them until done. It was done before 9 am.

2. If you want these to be baked in the afternoon, just do the same thing but feed the starter 1 day prior, in the morning, then prepare the dough that evening. Let it rise overnight, shape it the following morning, let rest until late in the afternoon, then bake.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole milk or evaporated milk

2 cups active sourdough starter

7 cups bread flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon sea salt

1/4 cup melted butter, for brushing on baked rolls

Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients, except the 1/4 cup melted butter for brushing the rolls later, in the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. Mix with a dough hook for 15 minutes. If you are using a Kitchenaid, stop after 8 minutes, rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then continue for 7 more minutes.

3. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover and let rise on the counter for 12 hours, or until doubled and airy.

4. Punch down dough, weigh it, and divide it into even pieces. You can make 12, 16, or 20 pieces fit per 13”x9”pan. I like to make 20 pieces, so there is more to share…and eat!

5. Shape into little balls by pulling edges into center, pinching it and rolling the dough, pinched side down on the counter to tighten the surface of the ball.

6. Place in one of two generously greased 13”x9” pan. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping others covered to prevent them from drying out. Fill both pans, cover and let sit for another 12 hours on the counter. You want them to fill the baking pans, and look really light and airy. I left them in the microwave with the convection rack in place to accommodate 2 baking pans.

7. Preheat oven to 375F. Bake rolls for 25 minutes, or until browned and internal temperature registers 200F in an instant read thermometer. I baked this for 20 minutes, buttered them all and baked for 5 minutes more.

8. Remove from oven and brush with butter. I just grab a stick of butter and gently run it through the buns long enough to coat them in melted butter.

9. Serve warm with plenty of additional butter, jam, or stuff with turkey, cranberry sauce and enjoy!